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Pro sports league lawsuits overview:
- Who: A variety of individuals and entities filed lawsuits involving the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball this month.
- Why: The complaints revolve around claims including pay, labor and antitrust violations, among other things.
- Where: The pro sports lawsuits were filed nationwide.
Several individuals and entities filed lawsuits this month involving the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), while Major League Baseball (MLB) agreed to pay to resolve long standing claims against it.
The lawsuits revolve around claims of pay and labor violations, the response to a toxic workplace report, a serious sideline injury, an antitrust violation and unlawful withholding of customers’ security deposits.
DC AG says Washington Commanders withheld security deposits, made misleading statements
The attorney general of the District of Columbia filed two separate complaints against the NFL’s Washington Commanders this month, with the first claiming the team made misleading statements to the public following a report of a toxic workplace.
Karl Racine, the District of Columbia attorney general, claims the Commanders misled the public following the report to ensure it did not lose fan support and continue selling “expensive tickets and merchandise.”
“Defendants made a series of public statements to convince District consumers that this dysfunctional and misogynistic conduct was limited and that they were fully cooperating with an independent investigation,” the NFL lawsuit states.
Racine claims the Commanders made the misleading statements following a 2020 report that alleged the culture within the organization included “decades of sexual harassment, verbal abuse and pervasive toxicity.”
Also this month, Racine accused the Commanders of failing to lawfully return security deposits to customers who entered into a contract with the team to secure premium seating at their games.
Racine argued the Commanders deceived consumers by not automatically repaying the security deposits, while arguing further that the team used them for its own benefit.
“Although the Team promised those consumers through its contracts that it would automatically return the deposits within 30 days of the contract’s expiration, the Team instead deceptively held onto these funds,” the Washington Commanders lawsuit states.
The Commanders allegedly imposed “extra, burdensome conditions” on customers who tried to get their money back, according to the lawsuit. These were reportedly contrary to their contract and done to complicate the process.
NFL, Los Angeles Chargers allegedly responsible for player’s season-ending injury
The NFL, meanwhile —along with the Los Angeles Chargers and several other defendants including ESPN — faced a lawsuit this month alleging they are responsible for a player’s season-ending knee injury.
Denver Broncos Player Aaron Patrick claims the NFL, among others, was negligent by placing mats on the sidelines at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, arguing they caused him to suffer a season-ending ACL tear.
Patrick tore his ACL after stepping on the sideline mats while attempting to avoid colliding with an NFL employee after trying to make a tackle during a Monday Night Football game at SoFi Stadium in October.
The NFL, ESPN and the NFL employee Patrick attempted to avoid colliding with were negligent by “knowingly running” electrical cords across the sideline and/or knowingly placing three mats on top of them to cover them, the NFL lawsuit alleges.
Brooklyn Nets accused of labor violations in Kyrie Irving suspension
Also last month, an independent labor activist group filed a lawsuit against the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets when the team indefinitely suspended player Kyrie Irving after he promoted a film with antisemetic themes on his Twitter.
The group, The Labor Organizers, claimed the Nets violated the National Labor Relations Act by allegedly violating conditions of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement by choosing to suspend Irving rather than revoke his contract with the team.
“The Brooklyn Nets indefinite suspension of the employee is a tactic to avoid compliance with the waiver protocol. If the employer followed the waiver protocol (Irving’s) contract with the Nets would officially end and (his) free agency period would begin,” the NBA lawsuit states.
Irving, who missed a total of eight games during his suspension, has since been cleared to play for the Nets, returning to action on Nov. 20.
NFL opposes class certification for claims it committed antitrust violations
The NFL, meanwhile, also argued this month against class certification for a group of bars, restaurants and fans challenging the legality of its exclusivity agreement with DirecTV for its NFL Sunday Ticket subscription package.
The proposed class of fans, restaurants and bars argue the NFL and DirecTV work together to enable the latter to charge more for the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription package service.
The NFL argues, however, that the proposed class has holes in its claims and that it is actually trying to “upend” the league’s “entire media model.”
Further, the NFL claims the proposed class presents a legal theory that “cannot be coherently evaluated on a classwide basis” and that it failed to pinpoint a precedent showing some in the class would benefit by making “everyone else pay more.”
“Plaintiffs identify no precedent, and Defendants are aware of none, suggesting that this kind of forced wealth transfer is a valid theory of antitrust class certification,” the NFL says.
$185 million MLB settlement ends claims it failed to pay minor leaguers minimum wage
Also this month, MLB agreed to pay $185 million in a class action settlement made to resolve claims it failed to provide its minor league players with minimum wage salaries.
The MLB settlement ended claims the organization failed to pay minor league players for their time training and participation in various leagues, with players arguing they weren’t paid minimum wage or overtime and sometimes had to work off the clock.
The MLB has not admitted to any wrongdoing by agreeing to the class action settlement.
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